The role of "patient-specific" exercises in managing LBP is controversial. Some people believe that any exercise is good for low back pain, while others believe that the direction and type of exercise prescribed can make a difference in recovery time and pain modification.
While general exercise is not bad at all for most conditions, there may be situations where being more specific may be a good thing.
So why should you care about specific exercise?
A randomized controlled trial tested the idea that some back pain does respond to specific exercise better than non-specific.
What they found was quite amazing! Over 70% of individuals responded to one very specific exercise. Those that responded to a specific exercise demonstrated a much quicker recovery in both pain and function compared to those who did not respond to a specific exercise.
While many clinicians world wide have shown through clinical work that specific exercises matter, this is the first study to demonstrate this phenomenon and back up the clinical findings.
So what does this mean for you?
Well, if you are experiencing low back pain, we would recommend undergoing a thorough evaluation from a qualified medical practitioner. After your examination, you and your provider should be able to mutually come up with a plan for treatment and care.
For more information regarding our evaluation and treatment process click the links below:
Does it Matter Which Exercise?: A Randomized Control Trial of Exercise for Low Back Pain